November 24, 2016 | New York / The Hague / Buenos Aires

Between 18 and 25 November 2016, the PGA high-level Delegations from Argentina and Paraguay visited The Hague in order to participate at the Assembly of State Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to engage in bilateral meetings with the Elected Officials of ICC and other international organizations based in The Hague. The Argentinian Delegation consisted of the PGA President, Dip. Margarita Stolbizer and Under Secretary for Criminal Policy of the Ministry of Justice of Argentina, Dr Ricardo Martín Casares. Paraguay was represented by Dip. Bogado Tatter, MP, PGA Member and Dra. Cecilia Pérez Rivas, Deputy-Minister for Criminal Policy of the Ministry of Justice. This mission also served the purpose to discuss and take concrete steps in order to enhance cooperation of these two countries with the ICC.

The Delegations met with the ICC President, Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, the ICC Prosecutor, Mrs. Fatou Bensouda, and the ICC Registrar, Mr. Herman von Hebel. Afterwards, the Delegations met with the officials of the International Court of Justice and The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

In the framework of the visit of the PGA Argentinian delegation, on 21 November 2016, at the seat of the ICC, the Ambassador of Argentina to the Kingdom of The Netherlands, H.E. Mr Horacio Salvador, and the ICC Registrar, Mr. Herman von Hebel signed a voluntary agreement on cooperation with the ICC related to witnesses' protection.

The prospects of signing of the voluntary agreements on cooperation with the ICC, as well as the language of the framework of these agreements, were also discussed with the Delegation of Paraguay. The members of the Delegation used this opportunity to participate in the seminar on cooperation organized at the ICC.

The discussions between the ICC officials and the Delegation from Argentina focused in particular on the capacity building at the national level and trainings of prosecutors in the context of financial investigations as well as on the necessary steps that will be taken to finalize the voluntary agreement on enforcement of sentences with the ICC.

The visit conducted by the high-level Delegations was particularly conducive to strengthening the cooperation of Argentina and Paraguay with the ICC and clarifying relevant matters and questions. PGA assesses that this has opened a way to further advance the cooperation with the ICC by both countries while, at the same time, strengthening the capabilities of the judiciaries at their domestic levels and the political will to proactive contribute to global efforts against impunity for mass-atrocities.